The Senate Committee on Local Content has ordered Mr. Roland Ewubare, the Group General Manager of National Petroleum Investment and Management Service, NAPIMS to appear before the Senate Committee in the next 24 hours or risk the constitutional consequences of his shunning of invitation from the Senate.
Giving the order at the sitting of the committee attended by 10 Senators looking into the huge variations associated with the $16 billion Egina Deep Sea Oil Project, Senator Solomon Adeola, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content said it is becoming a tradition in NNPC and its associated subsidiaries to treat National Assembly invitations with levity with flimsy excuses stressing that the Senate Committee will henceforth not deal with ‘lieutenants of these agencies without their heads or cogent reasons in advance.
NAPIMS has sent three General Managers as representatives to the committee after it received an invitation three weeks ago for appearance of the Group General Manager to throw light on submissions made by Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Ltd handling the Egina project.
Speaking earlier Senator Godswill Akpabio, the vice chairman of the Committee and Minority Leader of the Senate said the importance attached to the information likely to be provided led members to turn out in large numbers saying that it is insulting not only to the Nigerian Constitution but also to the office of the GGM for him to disregard the Senate invitation on issues relating to how Nigerians are being shortchanged by foreign companies and their local collaborators.
Also contributing Senator Sabi Abdulahi, a member of the committee and spokesman for the Senate said Senate is angry that after 21 days notice the GGM refused to appear adding that NAPIMS is in charge of a very critical sector of our economy and should be ready to answer the call of the Senate in its efforts to support Federal Government in delivering the dividend of democracy.
Among senators presents are at the meeting are Senators Gershon Bassey, Stella Oduah, Biodun Olujim, Ali Wakili, Babatunde Alasoadura, Abdulahi Gumel and Hamman Missau.